For a stretch of around a quarter and a half, Grand Valley State and its fans were witnessing what might have been the worst stretch of football the Lakers had played in years. It just so happened that it came immediately after what was perhaps their best 18 minutes of football, maybe in school history.

The Lakers raced out to a 35-0 lead on top-ranked rival Ferris State, only to watch the Bulldogs come roaring back later in the second quarter and into the third, trimming the deficit to 35-28, and leaving the outcome of the Anchor-Bone Classic in doubt after it looked like the Lakers would take the game in a walk.

But Grand Valley responded in the best way possible, by answering Ferris State’s touchdown drive with one of their own, stretching the lead back to 14, then putting the clamps on the high-powered Bulldogs the rest of the way, eventually salting the game away with a closing touchdown to give their Lakers their biggest winning margin in the rivalry in more than a decade, 49-28.

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What might have been most satisfying for the Lakers is that they went out and beat the Bulldogs at their own game. They dominated the ground game and did so using multiple quarterbacks. They forced the Bulldogs into uncharacteristic mistakes with three turnovers, and a whopping 16 penalties in the game. Win the turnover and penalty battle, and you’ll find yourself in a good position to beat almost anyone. 

ONE HANDED TD CATCH 🤯 @kylenott15@gvsufootball | @GLIACsports pic.twitter.com/Ewz7FnBU2G

— FloFootball (@FloFootball) October 14, 2023

Much had been made of Ferris State’s three-headed monster under center, with one quarterback who was a standout passer, and two others who combined for one of the best rushing attacks in the country. So naturally, the Lakers leaned on a running quarterback to help make big plays. Starter Cade Peterson, who has taken the majority of the snaps this year tossed three touchdowns in the win. But it was backup Avery Moore who turned into the game’s star, rushing nine times for 126 yards and a pair of scores, including a 44-yard scamper in the fourth quarter to stretch the lead back to 14, halting Ferris State’s 28-0 run, and putting the Lakers back in control. As if that wasn’t enough, Moore also made his lone completion in the game count, hitting for a 30-yard strike in the first quarter.

It’s probably safe to say that not many people coming into the week predicted GVSU’s backup quarterback running wild, winning GLIAC Player of the Week honors, and helping the Lakers top Ferris State the same way the Bulldogs had punished opponents. 

It was the type of performance that showed why this season’s Lakers might be the one to break their title drought and a statement to the rest of Division II football that the road to a championship might go through Allendale, Michigan.

It’s one thing to win this type of game, the Lakers have done that two years in a row, albeit with a playoff loss sandwiched between the Anchor-Bone games, but to race out to a 35-0 lead on the top-ranked team in the country, forcing three turnovers, and otherwise shut down what is one of the most high-powered rushing games in the country, is almost unheard of unless you also happen to be one of the best teams in the nation.

Grand Valley’s win Saturday certainly proved that, as if going 5-1 so far with three wins over Top-25 teams, while the lone loss was to the now No. 1 team in the country, Colorado School of Mines in the last minute. On the road.

This is as battle-tested as a team can be in Division II football, and now the only thing left between the Lakers and another GLIAC regular season title is three games against teams in the bottom half of the GLIAC, and a showdown with unbeaten Davenport to close out the regular season, with the Panthers having to make the short trip over to Allendale.

Number 8 on the field, Number 3 on @SportsCenter🏈 #GLIAConFlo@gvsufootball | @gvsulakers | @kylenott15 pic.twitter.com/V8LBpUuCwU

— FloFootball (@FloFootball) October 16, 2023

If the Lakers can find a way to run the table there, it will mean the GLIAC title, and almost certainly having home-field advantage throughout the playoffs until the reseeding happens in the final four.

Yes, in the grand scheme of things it was just one, and GVSU’s coaching staff and players will probably tell you they’ve moved on to start preparing for their game with Michigan Tech this week, but Saturday’s win was so much more than that for the Lakers.

It was a stepping stone toward the GLIAC title. It showcased just how good they can be by racing out to a 35-0 lead. It gave them areas that needed correcting by nearly coughing up that lead. And it showed their grit and ability to bounce back by closing out the defending champions after that bad stretch.

Yes, it’s one win, but it’s one really big win that has put the rest of Division II on notice as the season enters the final month of the regular season.